Contest the ball.

My point is that there should be more diversity in the
game. I watched a few NRL games past few days granted the weather wasn't great but I'd be hard pressed to get anyone not already in the game to be interested in it.

Well there was a conscious decision by the authorities during the 1990s to make the sport much more physically demanding with the 10 metre rule. All the subsequent rule changes have been in favour of speeding the game up and encouraging fast paced action. That has certainly made it harder for inferior teams to cause an upset. Also there is a debate to be had over whether speeding the game up has meant that pace and power have come to predominate over sutblety and skill.

I one thing I am pretty certain of is that some people in rugby league are complacent to the point of arrogance about the quality of the "product" on the pitch. The game might be fasted paced and lots of tries might be being scored but is that what the general sporting public wants? I mean basketball is fast paced and there is lots of scoring but I find it one dimensional and dull.

The credibility of the competition is key too. You need evenly matched teams where the result is in doubt and the results of the matches really need to matter. Unfortunately under the current Super League structure none of that is really true until the later stage of the playoffs. Having an 8 team playoff system and only 5 or 6 competitive teams is a real killer. No matter the laws if the structure of the competition devalues the 27 regular leagues games you are on to a loser.

You have to be careful what you wish for regarding the contest for possession. Being guaranteed (albeit with a minor chance of the strip) to regain the ball from the tackle allows players to have a go on attack. These situations can be the most exciting in the game, which often doesn't happen in Union due to the players being scared of a turnover.

So for both games the attitude to contested possession is both a strength and weakness. The chance for repetition is balanced by the chance for against the odds attack. This is against the unpredictability of Union balanced against the conservative attacking tactics.

Any big game, like the Lions matches, will be dramatic regardless of the unpredictability. I think it comes down to hype and the crowd excitement as much as anything else...

I think you need a certain level of unpredictability and credibility to back up the hype and media maelstrom. You are right though. Once a sporting event takes on a life of its own the quality of the on field action can take a back seat. The absolute quality in the play at Soccer and RU World Cups is never great but they are dramatic.

The problem for rugby league in the UK is that apart from the Challenge Cup and Super League Finals the sport lacks "events" that grab the imagination of the general public. Meaningful representative matches and international matches are key to that.

Well there was a conscious decision by the authorities during the 1990s to make the sport much more physically demanding with the 10 metre rule. All the subsequent rule changes have been in favour of speeding the game up and encouraging fast paced action. That has certainly made it harder for inferior teams to cause an upset. Also there is a debate to be had over whether speeding the game up has meant that pace and power have come to predominate over sutblety and skill.

I one thing I am pretty certain of is that some people in rugby league are complacent to the point of arrogance about the quality of the "product" on the pitch. The game might be fasted paced and lots of tries might be being scored but is that what the general sporting public wants? I mean basketball is fast paced and there is lots of scoring but I find it one dimensional and dull.

The credibility of the competition is key too. You need evenly matched teams where the result is in doubt and the results of the matches really need to matter. Unfortunately under the current Super League structure none of that is really true until the later stage of the playoffs. Having an 8 team playoff system and only 5 or 6 competitive teams is a real killer. No matter the laws if the structure of the competition devalues the 27 regular leagues games you are on to a loser.

I agree. The rule changes have made the game poorer holistically. I preferred 5m rule an proper scrums because the games were closer and there were less tries to make them more exciting
Did anyone watch the 1991 SOO free on premier last week. It was proper scrums and it added something extra. Didnt stop the skills